Fencing is an ancient and highly regarded art form. It is a highly competitive and strenuous sport for two contestants (fencers). As shown, by way of example in FIG. 1, a fencing competition involves two contestants (fencers) 110, 120 wearing appropriate protective clothing 112, 114 and face masks 114, 124, respectively. Each contestant 110, 120 uses a blade 116, 126, that is appropriate to the particular type of fencing (foil, epée, etc.).
In competition, fencers are judged by a referee 131 who monitors the fencer's activities as each competitor attempts to score touches on key areas of the other one's body with his or her blade. In competition, and in various types of fencing, the fencers employ blades having electrical contacts on their tips that respond to a touch (for example, epee and foil). Other blades, such as saber, may employ a conductive blade surface. The fencer may also employ special garments 112, 122 that include an electrically conductive material (for use in saber, for example). The material is electrically connected to a body cord (not shown). This body cord is also connected to the fencer's weapon.
The body cord extends inside the fencer's sleeve to a connection point inside the guard of the weapon. The body cord extends down the fencer's back to a connection with wires 118, 128, which extend from each respective fencer as shown. Touches by each fencer 110, 120 on various parts of the opponent's body transmit signals through respective wires 118, 128. The wires 118, 128 are each connected to a respective spring-wound reel (not shown) located at each opposing end of the strip, beyond the boundary lines of competition. These reels take up and pay out each wire 118, 128 while maintaining tautness as the fencers move up and down an elongated platform knows as a fencing strip 130, and are connected to the main electronic scoring device/console (described below).
When constructed from aluminum (or another metallic) sheet, the fencing strip 130 includes an exposed top surface 132 that is electrically conductive. It is often constructed from aluminum sheet that may or may not include perforations or other structures thereon. The fencing strip is constructed in segments that are joined at joint lines 134 for easy storage and subsequent assembly during a match. Appropriate mechanical fasteners and connectors can be used to join the segments together. Sometimes, the segments are elevated on a set of lengthwise stringers 136.
The touch signals from each fencer are transmitted through the reel wires 118, 128 via a connecting cable system 150 to a central scoring console 160. The scoring console 160 may include a time clock 162 and a pair of score pylons 164 and 166. The pylons 164, 166 correspond to each fencer's scoring activities. In one embodiment, each pylon includes a discrete colored light 170 (for example, a red light on one pylon and a green light on the other pylon) to make it easier for the referee 131 and audience to identify which contestant scored a touch. An alphanumeric score window 172 may also be displayed on each pylon 164, 166, indicating each fencer's current score.
The top plate surface 132 is conductive because the strip generally represents an area in which no score is given in response to a touch. Thus, the entire surface of the strip is conductive and provides a ground plane connected to the reels. When a blade conductively contacts the strip surface during competition, the control system in the console 160 recognizes the touch as one with the strip and registers no score. Thus, it is important to be able to differentiate touches that simply contact the strip. The conductive surface in combination with an interconnection to scoring console enables such differentiation.
Because the rules of fencing are fairly sophisticated, the referee cannot simply rely upon the scoring console 160 to determine the outcome of a match. Rather, he or she must also pay constant attention to the fencer's movements to ensure that all touches have been properly scored and that the fencer has stayed with the bounds of the strip at all times.
Since a fully constructed fencing strip may extend at least 17 meters, the referee must move constantly with the back and forth over a reasonably long distance to closely track the movement of the (often quickly moving) fencers. As the fencers move to either respective end of the strip 130, the referee is now faced with a fairly long-distance view of the console 160. As such the referee must continually divide his or her attention between the fencers in front of him or her, and the more-distant, and off-angle, scoring console 160. In short, the referee must constantly turn his or her head back-and-forth, and simultaneously readjust his or her focus to keep up with the match. Only through this constant head-turning can the referee keep an eye on the score, while at the same time continually returning his or her attention to the fencers.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system that enables a referee (and audience) to keep his or her eyes generally on both the fencers and the score at the same time, regardless of where the fencers are positioned along the fencing strip. It is also desirable to provide improvements to a fencing strip that better utilize the available space and possibly smooth the transition between the raised stringers (that may be needed in the strip's design) and the floor.